The excitement levels are hitting the roof as India and Australia, two top-ranked Test sides go up against each other in what promises to be a riveting World Test Championship 2023 final. The stakes are high—for Australia, it is a chance to make an impact in their maiden appearance in the competition. For India, it is a second shot at Test Championship glory, something that they had missed after a defeat to New Zealand in the first WTC final. A timid batting performance in both innings saw India fall on the wrong side of the result in that rain-hit match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton two years ago. On Which Channel India vs Australia WTC 2023 Final Will be Telecast Live? How To Watch IND vs AUS Live Streaming Online? Check Viewing Options of World Test Championship.

WTC 2023 Final: All You Need to Know

This time the Indian batters would look to make amends. While Rishabh Pant would be a significant miss, the Indian team is pretty much the same from that match. Fans might wonder how India would line-up in that game and in this article, we shall look at precisely that.

Openers/Top Order: Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are sure shot openers for the Indian team in this match. While Rohit may not have been in the best of forms, the same cannot be said for Shubman Gill, who recently had one of the most prolific seasons by an IPL batter, scoring close to 900 runs. He would look to carry on that form in this match. In his last match against Australia earlier this year, Shubman Gill had smashed a terrific hundred. Cheteshwar Pujara, who had a good county stint with Sussex, would come in at three. His county cricket experience would be beneficial for India in this crucial contest. IND vs AUS WTC 2023 Final: What Happened in the Inaugural World Test Championship Summit Clash Between India and New Zealand? Here’s A Recap.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli is India’s mainstay in the middle-order in Test cricket. His performance would have a big say on the outcome of this match. Kohli had a great IPL season, where he smashed 630 runs, including two back-to-back hundreds. Next up, it is the comeback man Ajinkya Rahane, who impressed one and all with his exuberance and form this IPL. He has been one of India’s dependable batters in Tests and would like live up to that reputation.

Wicketkeeper: While candidates for the other positions have a bit of certainty, the same cannot be said for the wicketkeeper’s slot. KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan are the two choices for this position. Bharat might get the nod owing to his recent experience in the whites. However, he could not make much of an impact with the bat in hand and that is where Ishan Kishan might have the edge. Also, if India prefer playing both Ashwin and Jadeja, then Bharat might be picked. Australia Begin Preparations For WTC Final, Ashes 2023 at Kent.

Bowling Attack: Ravindra Jadeja is a certainty and there’s a toss-up between Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin. While Ashwin’s credibility as an all-rounder is second to none, it remains to be seen if India opt to play two spinners. Should there be a two-spin-pronged bowling attack, Ashwin would be picked. If the conditions suit pacers, then Shardul Thakur might get the nod. Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav will likely be picked as the three fast bowlers in the playing XI. Shami and Siraj were in good form in the IPL and would aim to carry on from that. However, the same cannot be said of Umesh, who had a poor season and did not make the team for many matches. But he had a good time in England last year and a change in format might get the best out of him.

India Likely XI vs Australia in WTC Final 2023

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2023 05:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).